Metallica’s Black Album celebrates its 30th birthday today! As a 90’s baby, this album holds a special place in my heart. And what better way to honor this iconic record’s anniversary than pairing it with this Black Margarita Recipe while you listen!

I must admit, I’ve been anxiously waiting to drop this Black Margarita Recipe for a while now. I really wanted to save it for the exact album release date, but several times I thought about just publishing it early. Ever since I shared my Blood & Honey cocktail recipe, I’ve been dying to share another spooky, musically inspired drink. While I love to cook, developing cocktail recipes and serving suggestions really lets my creativity run wild. I’m not big on baking, but I am big on entertaining. So this is kind of my version of cake decorating in a way.

Behind This Scenes of This Black Margarita Recipe

When I started thinking about a cocktail recipe for Metallica’s Black Album, I was certain of two things. It would be a margarita of some sort, and it must be black (obviously). How I was going to do that was a different story. I definitely didn’t want to put food coloring into the liquid (yuck). Instead, my first thought was soaking the tequila in black rice, along with using a dark liqueur to achieve the hue I wanted.

Everywhere has black rice right? Should be a piece of cake to find in any grocery store.

Wrong.

Not only did I have enough on this grocery store adventure already, but the state store was in the same plaza as where I was. So instead of going to multiple grocery stores to find black rice, I opted to see what I could do instead. After browsing, I wasn’t totally sure what I had picked up would create the dark hue I needed. On my first try, the ratio I used made it too blue (but gave me another great idea for later!) So I made one final tweak on round two, and it was a success.

Celebrating The 30th Anniversary of Metallica’s Black Album

First released on August 12, 1991, Metallica’s self titled record gets its nickname “The Black Album” from its cover art. It’s a record that gets a lot of praise and a lot of shit at the same time. That shouldn’t be surprising considering that it’s Metallica’s most popular album where the mainstream is concerned. And the metal community isn’t exactly known for being cool with what the normies are into. However, that doesn’t mean it’s warranted.

Don’t let elitists fool you into thinking that this is just a “radio friendly album”. While it may not be in their big 3, the Black album is a great listen for any metal fan. Prior to writing this it had been a while since I listened to “Enter Sandman”, because I do agree that it’s massively overplayed. But when I sat down to give it a listen I instantly remembered why this song became so popular. The instantly infectious energy that’s thrilling but catchy. It sets the tone as the opener for what you can expect from the rest of the album. The entire record feels almost as if you’ve been transported to a sold out Metallica show at a major stadium. It’s the album equivalent to a big, loud, and wildly entertaining performance.

Say whatever you want about Metallica’s Black Album. But it’s impossible to deny that it’s a great listen, even if it’s a little too “mainstream” for you. By the time of it’s release, Metallica had figured out the secret sauce to creating great music- and the black album is that recipe sprinkled throughout a full course meal.

How To Make This Black Margarita Recipe

Not only is this cocktail delicious, but it is super easy to make. First, cut a slit in the middle of a lime wedge without completely separating the lime in half. This is so you can easily slide your lime wedge around the rim of your serving glass. Then dip the glass in bowl of black sanding sugar, making sure to coat it evenly.

Next, fill a shaker with ice and add 1 oz tequila reposado, 1 oz blackberry liqueur, .5 oz blue curacao, and .5 oz agave syrup. Fill your serving glass with ice, mix the ingredients in the shaker, and then pour the liquid into your glass. This should fill your glass about 1/4 to 1/2 way, depending on its size. Finally, top it off with club soda.

Garnishes and Serving

This Black Margarita is served on the rocks. When it pours out of the shaker, the liquid is truly black. However the ice and club soda lightens it up just a bit. To combat this, I use black sanding salt which you can typically find in the baking aisle. I couldn’t find it at my local Walmart, but it was at Hobby Lobby. #notsponsored

To serve, I recommend using a short glass for the measurements listed in this recipe. This is to ensure the color will still stay consistent. The ingredients listed will make one drink but you can make a larger batch by simply multiplying the ingredients by the amount you need. I would also recommend waiting to add the club soda until you are serving the drink in a glass so it does not go flat.